July 27, 2015

John 6:8, 9 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

This story of the feeding of the 5,000 is one of only two recounted in all four gospels so it is interesting to see what is distinctive about the way John tells it. They all agree that what was available were five loaves of bread and two fish. Only John specifies where they came from. Andrew breaks into Jesus’ conversation with Phillip, according to John, to announce “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” This boy obviously had a good mother who packed him a lunch before he set out. How did Andrew know the boy had these things? He either observed, an important trait, or even better perhaps he actually had struck up a relationship with this kid. Is that part of what John is conveying here, that if we get to know people we may be surprised what they have to offer and what God can do with it? It is so easy to get caught up in our own thoughts and plans and problems, our screens and sounds and schedules. Who is right there around you? What are they doing? Who have they come to see? This week, look around and bring what you see and who you see to Jesus in your thoughts and prayers.